Guide member for a liquid jet to be deflected

ABSTRACT

The guide member ( 1 ) for a liquid jet ( 30 ) to be deflected allows a liquid ( 3 ) after flowing out of a container ( 2 ) to be deflected onto a target ( 5; 7 ) which is located below the container. The deflecting takes place by means of a shaped material plate ( 10; 10   a,    10   b ) which is arranged ahead of an outlet opening ( 20 ) of the container and which reshapes and further conducts the jet ( 30 ) in such a manner that the liquid is conveyed to the target at a lower end ( 17 ) of the shaped material plate. At the location ahead of the outlet opening ( 20 ), where the liquid jet ( 30 ) is incident onto the shaped material plate ( 10 ), a first and a second piece of surface ( 11  and  12  respectively) of the material plate form a mouth region ( 13 ) in which the first piece of surface ( 11 ) deflects the liquid ( 3 ) transversely with respect to the vertical, whereas the second piece of surface ( 12 ) is provided as a catcher for squirts. The first piece of surface merges into a channel ( 14 ) in which the liquid is guided downwards. In this the wall of the second piece of surface divides the channel off from the mouth region. In modified form the guide member can also be assembled from a plurality of shaped material plates.

[0001] The invention relates to a guide member for a liquid jet to be deflected in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. It also relates to counter-flow columns with liquid distributors in which the liquid flows off via guide members of the named kind and to uses of apparatuses which contain guide members and which can be used for processes in the chemical industry and in petrochemistry and/or for example for decompositions of gas mixtures, in particular for distillation, reactive distillation, absorption or extraction, with material and heat exchange processes as well as chemical reactions taking place or with it being possible for them to take place.

[0002] In a counter-flow column in which for example a distillative material separation is carried out by means of an ordered packing, a gas can flow upwards through the packing with a high speed. In the use of unsuitable liquid distributors the rapidly flowing gas separates off fine drops from the distributor and carries the former along with it. The liquid to be distributed therefore does not arrive onto the packing without losses. From EP 0 282 753 a liquid distributor is known in which liquid emerges from outlet openings of distributor troughs and is incident in jet form on baffle plates of guide members (called guide walls there). The liquid arrives in the guide member with a relatively high speed onto the baffle plate, is distributed on the latter as a parabolic film and then flows from a drip-off edge onto the packing. A plurality of parallel distributor troughs subdivides the gas which flows upward out of the packing into a plurality of partial flows, between which back pressure zones develop. The drip-off edges of the guide members are arranged beneath the distributor troughs within the back pressure zones of the gas flow. It is thereby largely prevented that droplets are taken along by the gas flow.

[0003] A disadvantage of the known guide members is that they relatively strongly narrow the cross-sectional area which is available between the distributor troughs for the transport of the gas and that they thus cause an increase in the pressure loss which is connected with the narrowing.

[0004] The object of the invention is to create a guide member by means of which after flowing out of a container the liquid can be deflected onto a target which is arranged below the container and by means of which—in comparison with the known guide member—a greater proportion of the cross-section is available for the gas transport. In this it must be ensured at the same time that no squirts arise which can be carried along by the gas flow. This object is satisfied by the guide member which is defined in claim 1. With the enlargement of the cross-section which is available for the gas transport the flow speed is also reduced, which additionally reduces the danger of a carrying along of liquid droplets. At the same time the guide member in accordance with the invention enables very large amounts of liquid to be carried out without back pressure effects arising.

[0005] The guide member in accordance with the invention for a liquid jet to be deflected allows a liquid after flowing out of a container to be deflected onto a target which is located below the container. The deflecting takes place by means of a shaped material plate which is arranged ahead of an outlet opening of the container and which reshapes and further conducts the jet in such a manner that the liquid is conveyed to the target at a lower end of the shaped material plate. At the location ahead of the outlet opening where the liquid jet is incident onto the shaped material plate, a first and a second piece of surface of the material plate form a mouth region in which the first piece of surface deflects the liquid transversely with respect to the vertical, whereas the second piece of surface is provided as a catcher for squirts. The first piece of surface merges into a channel in which the liquid is guided downwards. In this the wall of the second piece of surface divides the channel off from the mouth region. In modified form the guide member can also be assembled from a plurality of shaped material plates.

[0006] The guide member can also be used for column bases which are located between filler body sections of a column packing. In these column bases a liquid collector—for example a flue base collector—has at the same time the function of a liquid distributor. The guide members in accordance with the invention can be arranged in the interior of gas conducting flues ahead of outflow holes which are located in vertical flue walls.

[0007] Subordinate claims 2 to 5 relate to advantageous embodiments of the guide member in accordance with the invention. Counter-flow columns with guide members of this kind are in each case the subject of claims 6 to 9. Claim 10 relates to uses of columns or of apparatuses which contain guide members.

[0008] In the following the invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. Shown are:

[0009]FIG. 1 a guide member in accordance with the invention,

[0010]FIG. 2 a schematic illustration pertaining to the guide member which is attached to a distributor trough above a packing,

[0011]FIG. 3 the guide member of FIG. 1 with securing means,

[0012]FIG. 4 a cross-section through the guide member,

[0013]FIG. 5 diverse cross-sections through guide members with in each case spiral shaped profile,

[0014]FIG. 6 a guide member with lateral outward bulges,

[0015]FIG. 7 part of a guide member which is conically shaped at the lower end,

[0016]FIG. 8 a guide member which is conically shaped over its entire height,

[0017]FIG. 9 a section of a “twin guide member”,

[0018]FIG. 10 a profile of a “ring gap guide member”,

[0019] FIGS. 11-13 profiles pertaining to guide members which are assembled from two shaped metal plates and

[0020]FIG. 14 a profile of a three-piece guide member.

[0021]FIG. 1 shows a guide member 1 in accordance with the invention which is attached to a container 2, a distributor trough. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration pertaining to a use of the guide member 1, which is attached to the distributor trough 2 above the upper end 50 of a column packing 5 (see FIG. 3). The flow of a gas which is conducted in counter-flow is indicated by an arrow 40. The base of the container 2 can lie on a horizontal plane; it can also—as illustrated in FIG. 2—be formed at an inclination in order to oppose a smaller resistance to the gas flow 40.

[0022] In the absence of guide members 1 a liquid 3, which emerges out of the container 2 from outlet openings 20, 20 a and 20 b as jets 30, forms liquid jets 30′ which are illustrated in chain-dotted lines. With the guide member 1 the liquid 3 is deflected after the flowing out onto a target which is arranged below the container 2. The target is the packing 5 or a fine distributor device 7 which is arranged at the lower end 17 of the guide member 1. The guide member 1 can be firmly or removably attached to the wall 21 of the container 2 using for example strap-like securing means 6. A removable securing is advantageous in regard to a cleaning of the container 2.

[0023] The deflection of the liquid jet 30 takes place by means of a shaped material plate 10 which is arranged ahead of the outlet opening 20 of the container 2 and which reshapes and further conducts the jet 30 in such a manner that the liquid 3 is conveyed to the target 5 or 7 at the lower end 17 of the material plate 10.

[0024] As FIG. 4 shows with reference to a cross-section, the sectional plane of which extends perpendicular to the vertical (z-direction, FIG. 1) the liquid jet 30 is incident on the shaped material plate 10 in a mouth region 13. This mouth region 13 is formed ahead of the outlet opening 20 of a first piece of surface 11 and a second piece of surface 12. The first piece of surface 11 deflects the liquid 3 transversely with respect to the vertical, with a flow 31 developing. The second piece of surface 12 has the function of a catcher for squirts, which are incident on this piece of surface 12 and flow off along it as a liquid film. The first piece of surface 11 merges into a channel 14 in which the liquid 3 is guided downward. The guide member 1 screens the liquid 3 against a gas 4 which is conducted in counter-flow. In this the liquid jet 30 and the flow 31 partly block off the path of the gas 4 within the guide member 1, so that the gas flow 40 is largely restricted to the outer region, where there is no contact between the gas 4 and the liquid 3.

[0025] One outlet opening 20 or two outlet openings 20 a and 20 b or also more can be provided. If a plurality of outlet openings is present, then these are as a rule arranged vertically one above the other.

[0026] The wall of the second piece of surface 12 also has a separation function: If a plurality of outlet openings 20 a, 20 b is present, then the wall of the piece of surface 12 keeps the flow 31 away from the flows 30 which emerge further below.

[0027] The first piece of surface 11 is arranged with respect to the outlet opening 20 or the outlet openings 20 a, 20 b in such a manner that the emerging liquid jet 30 is approximately tangentially incident onto the material plate 10. Then the liquid 3 flows through the channel 14 as flow 31. The flowing of the flow 31 has a helical shape at least in an upper part of the guide member 1.

[0028] The shaped material plate 10 has—in a plane transverse to the vertical or longitudinal direction of the channel 14—a cross-section with spiral-shaped profile. Different examples are illustrated in FIG. 5. An arrow 35 indicates in each case the location and the direction of the inflowing liquid 3.

[0029] The guide member 1 can have a variably formed cross-section. It can have at the level of the outlet opening 20 a lateral outward bulge which is provided for a deflection of the flow 31 (FIGS. 1, 4). FIG. 6 shows an example with outward bulges 15 for two liquid jets which flow out from the outlet openings 20 a and 20 b. In order to largely prevent the gas 4 from flowing in into the mouth region 13 or into the channel 14 and in order to bring the flow 31 into a compact form, the guide member 1 can be formed in such a manner that the cross-section contracts downwardly. In this the contraction can be provided only in a vicinity 16 of the lower end 17, see FIG. 7; or it can be provided over the entire height, see FIG. 8. Thanks to the compact shape the flow 31 offers less surface of attack to the gas counter-flow 40.

[0030] The guide member 1 in accordance with the invention can be assembled from two or more shaped material plates. FIGS. 9 to 14 show various examples. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9 two guide members with shaped material plates 10 a and 10 b of the above described kind are welded together to form a “twin guide member” 1. With this guide member 1 two adjacent liquid jets 36 and 37 which emerge at the same level can be deflected. (The “twin guide member” 1 can also be shaped from a single material plate 10.)

[0031] The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 10 is likewise provided for two liquid jets 36 and 37. Its cross-sectional profile shows a ring-gap-like channel 14, into which the liquid 3 enters from the sides in two mutually oppositely directed flows. A central region 18 of the guide member 1 remains free of liquid 3. In this region 18 a flow 40 of the gas 4 can be let through without hindrance.

[0032] The guide member 1 in FIG. 11 has a spiral-shaped cross-section and is assembled from two material plates 10 a and 10 b. A variant is shown in FIG. 12, in which however, as was already the case in the example of FIG. 10, a central region 18 with a gas flow 40 which has been let through is present. A further two-piece variant is illustrated in FIG. 13. The guide member 1 of FIG. 14 is assembled from three parts: the mouth region 13 is formed by the material plates 10 a and 10 b, the channel 14 by a laterally slit tube 10 c.

[0033] The mouth regions 13 of the guide members 1 are formed in the examples of FIGS. 11 to 14 in each case as a curved alley. Their horizontal width must be greater than the diameter of the associated outlet opening 20 of the container 2. The alley width is advantageously approximately equal to the diameter of the outlet opening 20, so that within the guide member 1 the path for the upwardly flowing gas 4 is practically completely cut off. 

1. Guide member (1) for a liquid jet (30) to be deflected, by means of which a liquid (3) can be deflected after flowing out of a container (2) onto a target (5; 7) which is located below the container, with the deflecting taking place by means of at least one shaped material plate (10; 10 a, 10 b) which is arranged ahead of an outlet opening (20) of the container and which reshapes and further conducts the jet (30) in such a manner that the liquid is conveyed at a lower end (17) of the shaped material plate to the target, characterized in that at the location ahead of the outlet opening (20) a first piece of surface (11) of the material plate (10; 10 a) and a second piece of surface (12) of the same or of a further material plate (10; 10 b) form a mouth region (13) in which the first piece of surface (11) deflects the liquid (3) transversely with respect to the vertical, whereas the second piece of surface (12) is provided as a catcher for squirts; and in that the first piece of surface merges into a channel (14) in which the liquid is guided downwards.
 2. Guide member in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the first piece of surface (11) is arranged with respect to the outlet opening (20) in such a manner that the emerging liquid jet (30) is incident at least approximately tangentially onto the material plate (10) and then flows helically through the channel (14); and in that more than one outlet opening (20 a, 20 b) can be provided, with the latter in particular being arranged vertically one above the other.
 3. Guide member in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 , characterized in that transversely to the longitudinal direction of the channel (14) the shaped material plate (10) has a cross-section with a spiral-shaped profile.
 4. Guide member in accordance with any one of the claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the shaped material plate (10) has a cross-section which is formed to be at least partly variable in the longitudinal direction of the channel (14), with in particular the first piece of surface having a lateral outward bulge (15) at the level of the outlet opening (20 a, 20 b) and/or the cross-section contracting downwardly and with the contraction being provided over the entire height in the longitudinal direction or only in a vicinity of the lower end (17).
 5. Guide member in accordance with any one of the claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that it is assembled from two or more shaped material plates (10, 10 a, 10 b).
 6. Counter-flow column comprising guide members (1) in accordance with any one of the claims 1 to 5 and comprising containers (2) of a liquid distributor from which liquid (3) can be distributed against an upwardly directed gas flow (40) onto a filler body (5) or a filler body section of a column packing and at which the guide members are arranged ahead of outlet openings (20), with liquid jets (30) which flow out of the outlet openings being intentionally deflectable by means of the guide members onto the filler body or onto fine distributor elements (7) which are arranged above the filler body.
 7. Column in accordance with claim 6 , characterized in that the mouth regions (13) of the guide members (1) are in each case formed as a curved alley, the horizontal width of which is greater than the diameter of the associated outlet opening of the container; and/or in that this width is advantageously approximately equal to the named diameter.
 8. Column in accordance with claim 6 or claim 7 , characterized in that the guide members (1) are removably attached to the containers (2) of the liquid distributor.
 9. Column in accordance with any one of the claims 6 to 8 , characterized in that a base is arranged between an upper and a lower filler body section, by means of said base liquid is collected from the upper section in a buffer chamber and collected liquid is distributed onto the lower section; in that flues serve as passages for a gas transport through the buffer chamber; and in that the guide members are arranged ahead of outlet openings within the flues.
 10. Use of a column in accordance with any one of the claims 6 to 9 or of an apparatus with guide members in accordance with any one of the claims 1 to 5 , for carrying out processes in the chemical industry and in petrochemistry or for example for a decomposition of gas mixtures, in particular for carrying out a distillation, reactive distillation, absorption or extraction, with material and/or heat exchange processes as well as chemical reactions taking place or with it being possible for them to take place. 